Making a Happy Day Present: Flowerpot Pens

When I went to the local Post Office today, I noticed that someone had taped tattered paper to the pens on the service desk.  Of course, I had to ask why.  The nice young woman behind the desk told me that it was because she was tired of having all of their pens "walk away."  Now, you know she's nice because she very politely varnished the truth:  people are stealing her pens.  And that is not nice of the customers.

I like the folks who work at the local PO.  They are always pleasant and friendly to me.  They are unfailingly kind and polite to other customers who are sometimes neither in return.  Postal work is not an easy job to do, and I respect their effort.

So I told the PO lady that I had an idea that might help.  I was pretty sure I had everything I needed already, and fortunately, I did. 

• silk flowers and leaves
• ballpoint pens
• floral tape
• clay plant pot (preferably without a drain hole)
• coffee beans
• wire cutters

Cut the stems on the flowers and greenery you want to decorate the pens with, leaving about 2 to 3 inches of stem wire for attaching the stem to the pen.  (Be sure that the flowers and leaves you choose are not too large or too heavy because that would make the pen difficult to use.) 

Wrap the stem and the pen together with the floral tape, overlapping each edge, double wrapping at the top and triple wrapping where the end of the cut wire lays against the pen.  (Floral tape sticks to itself so you don't need to worry about glue or other adhesives.)

Put the coffee beans into the pot, leaving about an inch clearance at the top.  (Too many beans = annoying spills, so you want to avoid that.)

And there it is:  a Happy Day present for some folks who work really hard and who deserve a little thank you.

These pens are a lot less likely to "walk away" without someone noticing, too.  And the scent of the coffee is bound to make anyone smile.

Life is good.
And it's kinda amazing when you can share.
Everybody needs a Happy Day sometimes.

.....By the way, cost to me:  zero.  The pens were extras from my desk; the tape was leftover from another project; the pot with greenery was an unsold item from a friend's garage sale; the flowers were from a table arrangement I made last autumn; and the coffee beans were a gift from an eBay customer.

Time that it took to make:  5 minutes to gather stuff together; 35 minutes to assemble.